


My Darling Angel

by echaryn



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Blood, Creepy, Dubious Morality, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Horror, M/M, Mild Gore, Possessive Behavior, Psychological Horror, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Yandere Sabo, Yandere!Sabo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:37:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6539332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echaryn/pseuds/echaryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who dares to touch what is his, who dares touching Luffy, when Luffy is his, and only his...</p><p>Luffy gets harassed by a bunch of strangers after their trip to the cinema. And Sabo doesn't like people touching his beautiful boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.
> 
> If you'd like to chat with me about fics or anything else really, feel free to talk to me through tumblr: http://echaryn.tumblr.com/

**Sabo**

If it would’ve been his own choice, Sabo would’ve stayed home and downloaded the film somewhere illegally. He then would’ve just gotten comfortable on their sofa, grabbed a pillow and a blanket and watched it there, Luffy cuddled to his side and Ace's legs draped over his.

But no.

He uncomfortably shifts in his seat, whilst the cinema slowly fills with people. He can see them chatting, laughing, some of them obnoxiously loudly, they carry their popcorn and spill their drinks everywhere.

He tries hard not to curl his lips in disgust, but he just really doesn’t like movie theatres. The seats are too small and there is by far not enough room for his long legs. He awkwardly crosses them and returns his attention to his two best friends and flatmates, Luffy and Ace, who sit next to him.

Luffy is in the middle, of course, so he can snatch popcorn from both of them and so that he doesn’t have to sit next to people he doesn’t know. Sabo is ok with that.

Ace is on Luffy’s other side, looking almost as bored as Sabo feels and he catches his gaze. Ace rolls his eyes at him.

Seriously, they should’ve stayed home. But nooo… When Luffy wants to go somewhere, they have to tag along.

And usually, Sabo is fine with that, being with the cute little monkey is enough to make him go anywhere, but a cinema… He snorts as he sees more and more people coming through the two entrances.

“We should’ve waited to see this damn film for another two weeks. See all the people?” Ace growls unhappily and digs his hand deep into the popcorn.

“Who cares, I’m watching the movie, not the people,” Luffy replies cheerfully and snatches a handful of popcorn from Sabo’s bag.

“Hope it’s worth it…,” Sabo sighs.

“Looks like it got 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. Damn, maybe I should leave after all,” Ace says while staring at his phone.

“Thank god it’s only barely over two hours,” Sabo mutters distracted.

“Yo, Sabo, shall we just leave Luffy here and instead we go down to the arcade?” Ace smirks and looks at Luffy, whose smile turns into a pout.

Sabo immediately regrets his sour mood and squeezes the younger man’s shoulder.

“You guys are ruining everything,” Luffy mumbles, crossing his arms like a child. He looks adorable like that…

“Shh, ok, don’t mind us, maybe after all it’s a good film,” Sabo tries to comfort him and Ace looks at him, mouthing _You’re such a suck-up_ and he shrugs apologetically. He can never be mean to Luffy. Luffy is… just Luffy, and Sabo hates seeing anything other than a smile on his face.

“But you two are in a bad mood now and now I want to go home,” Luffy growls, a deep frown appearing between his brows and Sabo gently ruffles his hair.

“C’mon, we’re just joking. Of course we’ll watch the film, and I’m sure it’s going to be great,” Sabo tries to convince him.

“…And you guys aren’t pissed that I dragged you with me?” Luffy asks him, still pouting.

Ace sighs. “No, we’re not. Here, have more popcorn. The trailers are about to begin.”

The boy between them still doesn’t look convinced and Sabo sighs, before he hands his popcorn entirely over to Luffy – which means a permanent goodbye – and Luffy grins happily as he starts munching on the puffy things again. The thing about him and popcorn is that once the film gets too suspenseful, he doesn’t eat anymore, which is why he usually doesn’t bother buying any.

“Here you go, take it all. And now stop pouting, hm?” Sabo says gently and Luffy nods, his mouth full of popcorn.

“Ok~”

“Sabo, if you continue to spoil him like that, he won’t function as a normal person anymore when we move out,” Ace chides him and Sabo just laughs.

Well…that wouldn’t be too bad…if Luffy would just rely on _him_ and _him alone…_

They’ve been living together for the past few years. Him, Ace and Luffy, in the same flat, with the shared living room, kitchen and bathroom. The best years of his life so far – Sabo had adored every single minute of it. Living with his two favourite people in the world was better than anything he could’ve ever dreamed off, which is why he is so, so reluctant to think that it would end eventually.

He wants things to stay the way they are. He could, maybe, let go off Ace, but Luffy…

Already the thought of having to watch Luffy place his keys on the kitchen table before grabbing his bags and smile sadly at him and leave the flat for good, the thought already has him clench his hands to angry fists, he won’t let that happen, never, _Luffy belongs to me...!!!_

He suddenly feels a hand grabbing his sleeve and he flinches and jerks his head to the right to see Luffy’s eyes glued to the screen, his mouth hanging open in suspense and his hand grabbing his sleeve so hard he’s close to tearing the fabric.

Sabo gently puts his hand atop Luffy’s, he can feel the soft tremors in his tense body and Luffy doesn’t even acknowledge it, the boy is actually leaning forward in his seat, as if he could get closer to the characters like that, as if he could become part of the story and change it for the better.

Suddenly there is a huge crash on the screen and Luffy jumps in his seat, throwing his hands up before he starts chewing on his fingers and Sabo, although he loves how into the story the boy is, he doesn’t like Luffy biting his own nails and hurting himself like that, he’s being too tense –

“Here,” he whispers into Luffy’s ear and gently takes his smaller hand to intertwine their fingers.

And shit, Luffy’s grip is merciless, a little bit more force and his hand will be mush.

Pfff, worth it.

 

After the film, Luffy is breathing deeply and has his eyes closed, as though he had just run five miles and is now recovering. His whole body has gone lax and Sabo gratefully revives his numb hand.

“Wow, that was so cool,” Luffy says happily, a stupid grin settling on his face.

“…It was alright,” Ace says with a shrug, by far not as impressed as Luffy is. Sabo thought it was ok, but certainly not a movie he’d bother to watch again.

But at least Luffy had fun, which is the most important thing… His lovely darling angel, as long as he is happy, Sabo’s world is ok.

Someone hurt the boy, and hell breaks lose.

“And now I’m hungry!” Luffy cries and suddenly he jumps up on his feet. The movie theatre is almost empty now; it’s late and people want to go home or move on, toward downtown, where the countless pubs and nightclubs are.

Sabo glances at the time. It’s after 11pm; time to go home. He puts his coat back on and wraps his scarf around his neck. Luffy, as always not bothering to put his coat back on, starts running down the stairs.

Ace sighs and grabs the boy’s scarf, and Sabo picks up the forgotten coat. He can smell Luffy’s faint scent on it and smiles.

Him and Ace slowly walk out of the show room, into the large main hall where they sell popcorn and soda and the sort. There are still plenty people standing around, talking and laughing, and Luffy is already  standing next to the stall where they sell the _Cinema_ magazines, featuring all the latest movies and the ones released next month.

“When’s the next train?” Ace asks him and Sabo grabs his phone to check the times.

“In half an hour.”

“Crap. Hey, is it ok if I go down to the arcade real quickly? I still got chips from last time, imma just quickly exchange them, maybe we’ll get a few vouchers.”

“Alright. You gonna take Luffy with you?”

“Nah, I’ll be faster without him – don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true! Will be back in a bit.”

“Alright.”

Ace hands him Luffy’s scarf and waves him, before he runs down the stairs that lead from the hall down into the first floor, where the arcade is.

Sabo turns to see Luffy returning with his nose deep in the magazine. “Sabo, I’m hungry,” Luffy starts complaining again and Sabo gently ruffles his hair and urges him to put his clothes back on again.

“Fine, what do you want to eat?”

“Can we get ice cream?!”.

“Ice cream? Luffy, it’s November.”

Luffy looks at him with the most beautiful puppy dog eyes anyone can imagine and Sabo’s heart melts at the sight, how can a human be so adorable, no one should be allowed to look so cute, he can’t resist…

Sabo sighs. “Alright, what kind of ice cream?”

“Ben&Jerry’s! Cookie dough!” From Ben&Jerry’s, of course, like Luffy wants any other lesser ice cream brand, nope, the little monkey wants the good stuff. Sabo rolls his eyes.

“Aaaand…I don’t have any money left,” Luffy says with an innocent smile and a sheepish blush on his cheeks and Sabo blinks.

“That means…?”

“Pleeeeease buy it for now and I’ll give you the money back tomorrow! Or the day after! Or so!” Luffy grins and grabs his sleeves again pleadingly, knowing perfectly well what his puppy dog eyes do to him.

Sabo feels a blush heating up his cheeks. Damn that…little…cute…monkey…

“Alright, alright, let go and I’ll get you your cookie dough,” he sighs in defeat and Luffy starts laughing happily and pulls him into a rough hug, before pushing him into the direction of the cinema-internal ice cream parlour (which is still open, it’s weekend after all) and Sabo looks back over his shoulder to see Luffy grinning from ear to ear.

That cheeky little monkey. Knows perfectly well how to handle him…

Sabo sighs good-naturedly. But making Luffy happy is just the best thing in the world…

 

********

 

**Luffy**

_Shishishi…_

Luffy watches how Sabo turns around the corner and he sits back down on one of the benches here in the main hall and watches the people.

Luffy has loved the film, he doesn’t understand why Sabo and Ace didn’t like it, but the two of them are so boring anyways, like, Sabo for example, can spend an entire afternoon reading a book without falling asleep. Luffy shakes his head whenever he thinks about it. Reading is so boooooring. He doesn’t get how Sabo can do that all the time…

Luffy lets his feet dangle happily as he looks around, admiring the huge film posters and larger-than-life cut-outs of famous actors and actresses.

“Ahh!” he gasps as he recognises the super cool dude from X-Men, the one who can drive the claws out of his hands! He jumps up from the bench and runs over to quickly make a selfie or maybe a dozen selfies next to that beast of a man. Luffy tries to do the same pose as him and then he stretches his arm as far as he can to snap the photo of himself.

“Gihihihi, I’ll send that Usopp, he’ll be so jealous,” he giggles to himself, and thoughtlessly wanders down the hall, past groups of people, toward the end where a large poster for the new Pacific Rim movie is taking up almost the entire wall. The poster is so cool, and Luffy’s eyes start to sparkle as he sees the gigantic robots and monsters, seemingly standing in the middle of a stormy ocean. Ah damn, he loves these monster and robot movies so much, he loves the fights, the colours, the music, everything!!!!

He makes a few more pictures and walks so close to the poster than he can actually touch the smooth, cool surface. The image is printed on a thin material, it’s not really paper…more like fabric and the image was printed thickly onto it. Luffy bites his lip in excitement, grabs a pen from his pockets and he crouches down to scribble his name above the foot of one of the monsters….

“Aww, look at him, isn’t he cute?” suddenly a slimy voice says behind him and he suddenly feels a cold, disgusting hand in his neck, sliding down his nape and pulling at his scarf with a violent jerk.

Luffy loses balance and follows onto his back, only to jump back on his feet again and press his back against the paper.

He feels disgusted and his skin is crawling as he stares at the five guys that stand around him in a semi-circle.

They’re taller than him, blocking his sight to the rest of the hall. Luffy gulps as his heart speeds up and his body starts trembling. He clenches his hands into the front of his coat.

The hell do they want from him?!

“Look at him, such a pretty face,” the one who has pulled at his scarf snickers with a sickening smile on his face. His skin is doughy and pale, his hair is dyed mould green and he has a ring through the middle of his nose. He comes closer and closer and Luffy can smell the disgusting odour of urine and unwashed hair and dead skin emit from him so strongly the smell itches in his throat.

He fights hard the urge to spit out in front of him. The lively hall, the people suddenly feel so far away, he feels closed off, he can see them leaving, walking down the stairs, unknowing, not looking, _no, don’t go, don’t leave me here, I’m –_

_Trapped._

“My friends are waiting for me,” Luffy says and he tries hard to sound confident, but – but the feeling of that disgusting man’s hand around his neck is still so vivid in his mind it makes it hard to think when everything inside him rebels.

“Hehe, then how about we let them wait a little longer and you play with us big boys?” the dude laughs in a low voice as he comes closer and closer, pushing his stinking body right up into Luffy’s space and pressing him back into the poster until he can feel the wall.

Suddenly the dude snatches his phone away from him and throws it to another friend who grins and puts it away. Luffy stares at him with wide eyes and he opens his mouth, his lips are trembling –

He starts shouting for help when a sweaty hand crashes against his mouth to keep him quiet and tears form in his eyes when the man leans in so close his stinky hot breath damps his skin.

“I don’t like it when they scream when I fuck them,” the guy breathes and Luffy feels a rough hand suddenly sliding up his torso and then hastily searching the end of his coat and shirt and he feels his stomach rebelling when the foreign hand finds his bare skin and claims it with a cruel grab, bruising and reckless.

“Are you scared, poor little thing? Don’t you want to play with us big boys anymore?”

Thick teardrops blur his vision as Luffy desperately tries to push the man away, but the dude’s body is like rock, unmoving against his shaking hands, and a leg comes forward between his, rubbing shamelessly against his genitals and the first tears fall in fear and despair and helplessness and he tries to bite, which earns him a hard slap across the face, which leaves him whining with pain and shock.

“S-Sabo…Ace…,” he weakly tries to call out when suddenly he can hear shouting, male shouting, and then the man is practically thrown to the side, the dude crashes to the floor in a mess of arms and legs and Luffy feels two familiar hands circle his face.

“Shhh, Luffy, everything’s ok,” Ace says soothingly and he is pulled toward the older man’s firm, warm chest and Ace turns them around, so he doesn’t need to see how Sabo beats the living shit out of the man and his friends.

He starts crying and sobs into Ace’s chest, the sound of knuckles crashing into noses and jaws is loudly in the background, but his own muffled howling drowns it out completely. Then he hears cursing and blood splashing and more cursing and then the noise of many feet running away from them.

Ace’s arms not once leave his shaking body and he only stops after he feels another pair of arms circling his shoulder and he is pulled toward Sabo’s broad, hard chest. He stiffens for a moment as he smells blood on him and for a second he has the feeling of falling over, dizzy, nauseous, but Sabo holds him up and pulls him into a tight hug.

Reluctantly, he grabs the man’s coat and buries his face in the fabric, ignoring the metallic smell.

“Ace, call a cab. We can’t take him into the train like this,” Luffy can hear Sabo say and Ace doesn’t reply, Luffy can only hear him move away, probably to call the suggested taxi.

He snuffles into Sabo’s coat. “Shhhh, everything’s ok,” Sabo says soothingly and large hands rub up and down his back.

“Are you hurt?” the older man asks and Luffy shakes his head, although his cheek hurts so badly and the feeling of being humiliated, of being tainted, of being _dirtied_ is so strong, as if a thick layer of filth was sticking to his skin now, and his eyes fill with tears again, he feels disgusted and grossed out, that dude touched him, touched him everywhere…

Angry tears run down his face as he starts shaking again and then he hears Ace coming back.

By now, the whole hall seems to be empty. Luffy can’t hear any people anymore.

“Luffy, the cab is on its way. Shall we go down to the street and wait for it?” Ace asks him and he can feel a hand gently caressing the top of his head.

He stays silent.

“Luffy?”

Then he just shrugs and nods, violently rubbing his eyes. And then he jerks his scarf, his dirtied scarf away from his neck and throws it to the ground. Breathing heavily, he stomps on it a few times before he turns to face his two best friends, who watch him quietly

He can see how Ace changes a glance with Sabo. “Do you want to have mine?” Sabo asks him softly and Luffy nods, feeling the tears welling up again and he thankfully wraps the blue, woollen scarf around his neck, up over his nose and he snuffles into the thing that smells faintly of the blond man. 

And then he feels an arm circling his shoulder and he is urged forward, toward the stairs. Yeah, the cab is waiting…

 

 ******** **  
**

**Sabo**

Sabo is practically fuming with rage, although he tries not to show it. The fact that these assholes had the nerve to touch what is rightfully his…

His knuckles – he burst them while beating up these assholes – crack as he clenches them again and he sees Ace’s warning glare from the passenger’s seat. Sabo breathes deeply, to calm the boiling rage inside him, as he pulls Luffy even closer to his body.

The boy is worryingly silent; his gorgeous dark eyes that are usually so beautifully shiny and bright, now look faded, matt and still red from crying. His face is unreadable, it’s impossible to tell what’s going on in his beautiful mind and Sabo wishes he could ask him, he wants to hear his voice; he wants to make sure Luffy is ok, he wants to make sure that Luffy won’t…won’t go _mad_ after this incident.

“…Please let us out at the end of this street,” Ace says to the driver. “Sabo, you need anything for your hands?”

“No, I think I’m good,” he replies.

“Sabo!” Luffy suddenly says loudly and he flinches. Luffy now stares at him with wide eyes, a horrified expression on his face.

“Yeah?”

“My phone!”

“Ah shit… hey, we will just get you a new one, ok?” Sabo says gently and squeezes his bony shoulder.

“But all my contacts…and my photos…and everything,” Luffy mumbles and Sabo can see how new tears start glistening in his eyes and he quickly pulls the younger man into a hug.

“We’ll figure something out, Luffy,” Ace says to him from the front and then the cab stops and Sabo opens the door, with Luffy still clinging to his shoulders.

“Luffy, this is our house,” he whispers into the raven hair and Luffy only snuffles and then lets his arms fall from around him to climb awkwardly out of the car.

Sabo pays the driver and then quickly follows his two best friends up the stairs to the three-storey house they live in, with the eight flats, of which they live in flat G, on the third floor.

They walk up the stairs silently, with Ace’s steps heavier than usual, and Luffy only shuffling angrily behind him, tripping twice on his way up.

Sabo’s own fury is disappearing in favour of worry and careful observation and possessive, strange thoughts tinged with fatigue.

He hates that these assholes cornered Luffy, he hates that they scared him – and at the same time he blames himself, he shouldn’t have left him alone, he should have taken Luffy with him, the boy is the cutest human being on earth, with the face of an angel, how could he, Sabo, be so heedless, he’s supposed to be Luffy’s best friend, he’s supposed to look out for him…

As soon as Luffy walks through the door, he throws his coat into a corner with a disgusted snarl and then Sabo hears him running to his room first and then the bathroom door slams closed. Half a  minute later, he can hear the shower running. Sabo sighs and picks up Luffy’s stuff to throw it into the basket with the dirty laundry.

 

Ace is still standing in the hallway, tapping his hands nervously against his thighs. Sabo blinks.

“…Are you blaming me?” Sabo asks his oldest friend and the dark-haired man’s expression hardens for a split second, before he turns to him with a crocked smile.

“No…no, of course not. But you didn’t…”

“What?”

Ace sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “You’re…not helping.”

Sabo feels himself growing annoyed again. “What are you trying to say, Ace?”

“What you did? There are other ways to deal with bullies than beating them fit for the hospital!”

“Dude, they weren’t only bullying him, they were fucking sexually harassing him!” Sabo snaps angrily.

Ace curses: “Fuck, ok, yes, I mean, I know these assholes deserved a good beating, but Jesus Christ Sabo, you almost broke that dude’s jaw. And Luffy was _there_ , for heaven’s sake!”

“Well, what else was I supposed to do?” Sabo replies heatedly, new found anger pooling in the pit of his stomach. Does Ace need to be a douche about it now? What the fuck?!

“For instance, not beat the living shit out of these guys when _Luffy is there!_ Didn’t you see that he was scared?!” Ace barks.

“Scared of these assholes!”

“No, scared of _you_!”

That does it for Sabo. He growls in the back of his throat and punches the wall beside the door, so hard he can hear the clock in the kitchen crash to the ground.

It’s painfully silent in their flat, for minutes that feel like years, and Ace only stares at him, his eyes wide and unbelieving. And then he slowly shakes his head.

“This is fucking messed up,” Ace growls and glares at him. And before Sabo can say another word, Ace marches over to the bathroom to knock heavily against the door.

“Luffy? Luffy are you ok in there?” the man asks loudly.

No answer.

“Luffy?!”

“Back off, I’m fine!” comes the heated reply and Ace curses.

“Leave him,” Sabo says, trying to hold in his rage, but his fists are still shaking. How dare Ace say that he scared Luffy, he only tried to protect his darling angel, and Ace didn’t even move a fucking finger to help him!

“…I need to be alone for a bit. Look out for him when he is done showering,” Ace hisses at him and the next second, Ace’s door is slammed close and locked.

And Sabo stands there.

A wicked grin appearing on his face.

********

 

**Luffy**

The atmosphere in their flat is murderous for the next days and Luffy doesn’t even know, why. Like, he’s the one who had to deal with these harassing assholes, and yet Ace an Sabo treat each other horribly – despite being super sweet to _him_ , the mood is acid in their flat and Luffy hates it. It’s been a week. Time to forget about that crap.

“Luffy, I’ll go out tonight and stay over at Law’s place,” Ace says in the afternoon, after Luffy got back from class. Luffy shrugs, not bothering to look up from his phone. He got it yesterday; he and Ace went to pick out a new one.

He’s still trying to recover all the lost contacts and crap, he still mourns the loss of all his pictures…

“Yeah, whatever,” he replies.

Suddenly, he feels a hand on top of his hand, gently ruffling his hair.

“Are you ok? You’ve been so gloomy. I know it’s because of what happened, but… Is there anything else I can do?” Ace asks him calmly and Luffy sighs, feeling guilty now for his bad mood.

He grabs Ace’s hand and smiles up at him.

“No, it’s fine. Really. I’ll be ok.”

The freckled man doesn’t look convinced, so Luffy takes his earphones out and pulls Ace into a short, but solid hug, to reassure him that he will alright. He’s not a kid anymore.

“You guys are fussing too much about me,” he says with a sigh and then releases him, only to see how Ace’s cheeks turn red and he abruptly turns away.

“Yeah, well, what else would we do with _you_ as our flatmate? So defenceless… Anyways, will be back tomorrow morning,” Ace says, trying to act super cool, but in reality he’s just as lame as Sabo is, both of them hopeless idiots that go all mother-hen mode when it’s about Luffy.

Well, and Luffy doesn’t mind, as long as it involves them buying him stuff…

“Ok, cool, have fun.”

“You got any plans today?”

“Nah, will stay home.”

“With…Sabo?”

“Dunno, probably, why?” Luffy asks back. He looks up fast enough to see an unreadable expression in Ace’s dark eyes, but then his friend just laughs and pats his shoulder.

“Alright, have fun with that idiot.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

How weird….what’s Ace’s problem? Does he think Luffy is a loser because he doesn’t go out on a Friday evening?

“Pfff…I went out last week and that went shit…,” he mumbles to himself as he helps himself preparing a quick snack for his growling stomach.

 

Later that night, as Ace is long gone already, Luffy and Sabo sit in the living room, watching TV together.

Luffy has tried asking his other best friend why him and Ace are fighting, but the blond has only smiled at him mysteriously, the way he usually does, and just shrugged. Well fine, if they don’t want to tell…it‘s probably something silly, anyways. Luffy leans back comfortably, enjoying the fact that the memories of the events of last Friday are slowly fading.

He has showered every day, sometimes twice, to get rid of the feeling of being dirtied and unwillingly touched, and it has helped, although his skin is weirdly dry and rough now. But at least…at least he feels normal again. Sort of.

“-fy? Luffy?” he hears Sabo calling out his name and he blinks, looking at the blond man who sits at the other end of the sofa.

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright?”

That makes him roll his eyes in annoyance. “Yes, I’m good. You guys should seriously stop worrying about me.”

“Well, I would stop worrying if I were convinced you were ok,” Sabo replies with a frown forming between his brows and Luffy sighs, starting to play anxiously with the hem of his shirt.

“I’m fine, Sabo, how often do I need to tell you?”

“…Doesn’t sound very convincing to me.”

And that sparks the anger in Luffy, the anger that’s been buring low in his stomach, and now it all comes back, but this time it’s only directed at Sabo – who is he to talk, _he’s never been in a situation where someone else felt entitled to touch you, because you’re cute and small and defenceless –_

_Makes it fucking sound like it’s my own fucking fault!_

“Just shut up!” Luffy yells and jumps up, knocking the books off the living room table. “Just shut the fuck up, I don’t need your fucking opinion!!”

And he runs into his room and slams the door shut, breathing heavily, his blood roaring in his ears, his body trembling and aching.

Immediately, he hears Sabo’s knocking on his door. “Please, Luffy, I didn’t want to upset you. Ok, if you don’t want me to ask anymore, that’s ok, but please open the door and we talk about this.”

Luffy angrily throws his shoes into the corner of his room.

“Go away, Sabo!”

“The green-haired guy… didn’t…get around to actually doing something to you, did he?” Sabo asks hesitantly from the other side of the door and Luffy freezes.

That hand… sliding up his bare stomach and chest…the memory of that is still so fresh…and every time he stands underneath the shower or changes his clothes...he believes to see an imprint of the hand on his skin, unfaded, fresh and reminding him…

That in that moment…his body didn’t belong to himself anymore… Someone else…that man...had just taken it…from him…

Thick tears start burning in the corners of his eyes and he tiredly opens his door to let Sabo in.

“Luffy!” Sabo calls softly and pulls him into a hug.

“I…I hate this…,” Luffy sobs into the older man’s shirt and the warm arms circle his body, large but familiar hands run up and down his back.

“Shhh, it’s ok, he will never tuch you again, I promise…,” Sabo whispers.

“How can you…be so sure?” Luffy snuffles and refuses to see up into his face.

He feels how Sabo presses a kiss to his hair and then he hears him say: “Because next time they’ll know you’re spoken for.”

That makes Luffy pause. “Wha-what do you mean by that?”

********

 

**Ace**

“I don’t know, man, I feel I should’ve stayed home,” he sighs and thoughtfully scratches his chin.

“Dude, we just got here,” Law replies unimpressed.

They sit in the lounge of one of their favourite bars, currently enjoying some good G&T and trying to relax. Or more like Law actually relaxes and enjoys the night, but he, Ace… He can’t stop thinking about the mess that he calls his home right now. Luffy has been terribly gloomy the past days – who can blame him – but Sabo, on the other hand…

Ace knows his oldest friend very well. And he knows damn well when Sabo isn’t his usual self.

Which has happened more often than not, actually, in the last few months. Namely since Luffy has started university and met a whole bunch of new people to hang out with.

“You and Sabo are both overprotective morons,” Law says, nodding at his red-haired friend (Ace suspects there’s more between them but he isn’t one to pry) to come sit with them and Kidd walks over to them, sitting down next to Law with a smug expression on his face and a tiny bit too confident to be...only…a friend.

“Yo, Ace how’s it going?” Kidd asks and they shake hands across the table.

“He’s being an annoying little idiot,” Law says and grins at him.

“Yeah, why is that?” Kidd asks, shrugging off his coat.

“Change of topic, please,” Ace sighs.

“He’s worried that his cute little best friend and flatmate might get corrupted by his other tall, handsome flatmate who also happens to be his best friend,” Law grins and Ace passes him a dirty look, while Kidd starts laughing.

“Hang on – who is supposed to corrupt whom? Sounds like a ménage à trois for me,” the redhead laughs.

“Yeah, I’m actually thinking the same,” Law agrees and Ace snarls at them both, before standing up to go to the restroom.

These two asshats. They have no idea how worried Ace actually is. For both his friends.

Something is…something just doesn’t feel right anymore.

 

“Christ, Ace, lighten up, everything’s fine,” Law sighs as he returns.

“Easy for you to say…” he mumbles.

“Don’t you think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill? I bet this shit is just all in your head,” Kidd says with a shrug.

Ace doesn’t reply. Is it just him who sees things? Maybe his mind is just playing tricks on him, but…

But why does he feel so uneasy..?

“I think imma head home.”

“What? No way!? You kidding?” Law protests.

“No, I’m sorry, seriously, I just feel I need to be home right now. I’ll call you.”

And with that he grabs his coat and rushes out of the bar.

********

 

**Luffy**

He steps backwards until his calves hit his bed and his heart is thundering inside his chest, painfully drumming against his ribcage as he stares at Sabo, who calmly closes the door behind him.

Locking it.

“S-Sabo, w-why do you…have a kn-knife?” Luffy stammers as he sees the handsome face break the most beautiful smile and it feels like ice is dropped in his stomach.

“I just want to make sure no one will ever touch you again, Luffy, no worries,” Sabo says sweetly as he turns around to him and approaches him, the knife loosely held in his right hand.

Luffy’s hands start shaking as he slowly puts them up in defence.

“S-Sabo, I…I don’t understand,” he says and his throat is parched.

“Shhh, everything will be ok, I promise,” Sabo says and his face, his voice, he…he looks and sounds the same as usual, but the fucking knife in his hand…

Luffy’s eyes dart from the knife back to Sabo’s face. The face he has known all his life, the face of a man he holds so very, very dear, a man he has trusted all his life b-but now…

Sabo’s free hand comes up to gently cup his cheek and Luffy shudders at the contact.

“Shh, it’s ok, you know that I would never hurt you, right?” Sabo coos and gently urges him to sit down on the bed.

Luffy swallows dryly and then crawls backwards to the headboard.

“Sabo, you’re freaking me out. Put the knife away,” he breathes shallowly.

The man blinks, before he smiles again and he comes around the bed to sit down next to him. He puts the knife on the night stand, so that Luffy can see, and then puts a hand on Luffy’s thigh.

“Don’t be so tense. Have I ever done something to hurt you, angel?” he asks softly and Luffy bites his lip, before he shakes his head. Why…why is Sabo being so weird, is he trying to play a pretty fucking mean prank on him, if so, Luffy will seriously kick his ass…

“See? So no need to be so scared,” Sabo mutters and brushes a few strands of hair away from his forehead.

Luffy closes his eyes at the familiar sensation and sighs in a low voice, he’s just becoming paranoid, this is Sabo, he would never hurt him…

He feels how Sabo lifts his hand to press a kiss to his knuckles and Luffy grins at him.

“You’re so stupid, Sabo.”

“Fufu, I got you there for a second, didn’t I?” Sabo says smugly and presses another kiss to his skin, this time to his palm, and Luffy giggles, closing his eyes again as he suddenly feels Sabo jerking his hand to the side and then he feels something hard clasping around his wrist.

“Waaah, what the fuck, Sabo?” Luffy yells, leaning forward only to be held back by a handcuff that now restrains his left hand to the headboard.

And Sabo only smiles at him, the most beautiful smile in the world: “You will understand, Luffy, this is only for your own good.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Open the handcuffs!” Luffy shouts angrily and tries to aim a kick at Sabo’s abdomen, but the man is too fast and instead slips between his legs and shit he’s so close now, his weight is pushing Luffy down into the mattress, his oppressing heat is too much for Luffy, why is Sabo doing this, why is he scaring him so much!?

“Shhhh, don’t move around so much, my darling…it’ll be over soon,” Sabo whispers into his ear and then he presses a loving kiss to his forehead.

Luffy can see, from the corner of his eye, how Sabo reaches for the knife again and panic starts pooling in his stomach, and Sabo’s other hand reaches for his free hand, pressing it down into the mattress, the soft side upward.

“Sabo, you’re scaring me,” Luffy says pressed, his eyes widening as Sabo leans down to him, nuzzling his neck.

“I know. I’m sorry. But I have to do this, my love.”

“Sabo, wha-what are you doing with the knife? Please, I’m scared,” Luffy whispers, fear tightening his throat once again and tears burn in his eyes.

He curls his legs up, but Sabo is between them, trapping him effectively in his own bed, and no one..

No one is here, _no one, anyone, where is Ace…?!_

“Sabo, p-please, w-why are you doing this?” Luffy asks with his voice high with terror as he watches helplessly how Sabo presses butterfly kisses to the inside of his forearm.

“Shhh, my angel, I just want to make sure no one ever touches you again except me. You want that, too, right? You hated when that asshole touched you, didn’t you? And I’ll make sure that’ll never happen again,” Sabo says against his skin and Luffy starts trembling, his whole body tenses up, but his voice, he can’t, there are no words left in him.

And then the knife –

“No, please, Sabo, you’re…don’t, no,nO, NO, PLEASE SABO STOP IT HURTS SABO STOP IT HURTS _IT HURTS IT HURTS STOP PLEASE I BEG YOU PLEASE SABO **PLEASE STOP PLEASE!!!!**_ ”

Luffy cries and sobs and pleads as the pain in his arm becomes excruciating to the point where he feels he will lose his sanity and he feels he’ll lose consciousness, the pain, the sense of betrayal, the sense of his body being violated by the one who he loves so much –

The cool blade digs deeper and deeper and _deeper_ until he believes he hears it grating over his bone -

“Please, Sabo, it hurts… it hurts so much...,” Luffy sobs later, his voice tired and hoarse from screaming and crying, the mattress soaked with blood, his arm burning and aching as if his skin was being torn off, his whole body is limb and drenched with sweat, the room is spinning.

“Shh, not yet, it’s not deep enough yet,” Sabo coos, pressing a kiss to his temples as he continues to scratch four letters **S A B O** into Luffy’s skin, deeper, deeper, until they will never fade again.

********

 

**Sabo**

Oh, how beautiful his darling angel is, his skin is so beautiful, decorated with rivers of red running down his arm, and Sabo’s name carved into his flesh to the point of no return, oh how lovely his boy looks, Luffy is just the most beautiful.

“I love you so much, Luffy, you know that, right?” he whispers adoringly and he presses kisses to Luffy’s tear-wet face.

“I love you so much, no one will ever hurt you again, you hear me? No one, you’re mine now, mine, _only mine_ , for the rest of your life,” he whispers.

Suddenly, he hears how the front door is opened and it’s Ace, of course it’s _Ace_ , who else would interrupt him while he put his ownership on the love of his life…?!

“S-Sabo…” Luffy says hoarsely and Sabo only smiles down at him, cupping his cheek, while grabbing the knife again.

“I will be right back, my darling angel,” he whispers and gets up to greet their flatmate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> A short note: I originally did not intend to develop the story further than where I finished the previous chapter. So continuing it was a bit tricky and I apologise in advance if the narrative seems a little inconsistent.
> 
> Other than that, please enjoy.
> 
> I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.

**Ace**

On his way back to their flat, he feels horrible. He’s almost ready to turn on his heel and head back to Law and Kidd. Just why… when the hell did he stop having faith in his oldest friend? What is he even expecting? Sabo being all fussy over Luffy and being the suck-up and mother-hen he usually is? That’s nothing new, the blond has always been overbearingly sweet to their younger flatmate, to the point it gave Ace toothache. But for god’s sake, Sabo is the best man he knows, and Ace feels horrible that he is…suspicious…of him?!

_What the fuck is wrong with me…?_

He runs a hand through his hair as he halts underneath a street lamp. He’s such a freaking fool; it’s probably himself who’s being all weird and shit. Aside from the incident at the cinema…Sabo has been the same as usual, it’s been _him_ , Ace, who was all distant and secretly waiting for his oldest friend to freak out and do something reckless, when in reality…

It’s been Ace, all along…

Ace grabs his phone when he hears hurried foot steps behind him and he turns around to see Law and Kidd slowing down, looking at him with raised brows, however still concerned expressions on their faces.

Ace rolls his eyes. “What? You think I’d freak out?” he barks at his friends as soon as they stand in front of him.

“Well kind of, after what you told us in the bar. Sounds like you’re becoming way too paranoid,” Law sighs.

“And we can also drink at your place, if that would make you feel _safer_ ,” Kidd says with light mock in his voice.

Ace passes him a dirty look: “Fuck you. I’m just worried about my flatmates.”

“Jesus Christ, Ace, Luffy is 19 and Sabo and you are 22, what the hell do you expect them to do? They’re adults,” Law reasons. “I’m pretty sure you’re freaking out over nothing.”

But Ace shakes his head. He just has a bad feeling in his stomach. It may be completely unrelated to his best friends…but something tells him it’s not.

They start walking again, but considerably slower this time. Ace breathes deeply. He needs to clear his head. The cold November wind blows little ice crystals into his face and the pavement is shining. It will probably freeze tonight.

“Alright, how’s this: We wait outside and you go and check on them. In case you need help, you got me on speed dial and we come upstairs,” Law suggests rationally and Ace nods.

“Alright. I’m sure it won’t take too long.” Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Oh man, maybe he should go and see a therapist next week... He definitely didn't use to be this paranoid!

“And you owe us a drink after, it’s fucking freezing out here,” Kidd says and Law elbows him in the side.

Ace snorts: “Won't take long. Just don’t wake the neighbours up.”

And with that he fumbles with his keys and unlocks the door into the entrance area and then he jumps up the stairs he’s known for so long.

 

**Sabo**

“I will be right back my darling angel,” he coos into Luffy’s ear as he stands up, the knife, slippery from the boy’s blood, clenched in his hand.

“S-Sabo…please,” Luffy mutters hoarsely and Sabo believes he has never heard anything sweeter than his name coming from those lips in such a cute, raspy voice, and his heart is leaping with endearment. He grabs into his pocket to pull out a scarf. And with Luffy’s eyes growing wide with disbelief: “N-no, Sabo…!”, he ties it around the boy’s head. As much as he loves Luffy’s voice, he can’t have him scream for help.

“It’s ok, I won’t take long,” he smiles at the beautiful person on the bed, and his gaze lingers on the four letters he has carved into the milky pale skin of his forearm. So beautiful, just breathtakingly gorgeous…

And _his_ , only his alone…

He checks his mirror image and wipes blood away from his cheek and neck.

“Hello?! Sabo, Luffy, are you here?” he can hear Ace call from the kitchen and Sabo straightens his back, hiding the knife in his sleeve and putting the most beautiful, genuine smile on his face before he heads out of Luffy’s bedroom.

He’ll have a nice chat with Ace, his oldest friend who is so _dear_ to him. See if he can get him to _join_ maybe...?

 

**Luffy**

The diabolical pain in his arm is so excruciating and all-consuming, Luffy doesn’t even know what to do with himself anymore…He blinks through his tears and his teeth chew helplessly on the gag Sabo has bound tightly around his head so he can’t scream. His head is pounding, so does his heart and it hurts, it hurts so, so, _so_ much… Luffy doesn’t know if he even still had the strength to scream if he tried…

All he can think of is his arm...the blood still dripping down and colouring the sheets crimson, and Sabo, his dearest, dearest Sabo…who was the one who hurt him…

Sabo…he said that he loves Luffy, but why did he need to hurt him like that..?

_Why, Sabo…?_

Luffy snuffles and turns his head to the side. Why, _Sabo…I love you, why do you hurt me…??_

 

**Ace**

He peeks into the kitchen. The light is still on, half-finished dinner is still standing on the stove, the pan is covered with the lid – it’s probably meant for him, which makes his heart clench with bad conscience.

Have his flatmates gone out after all? Maybe down to the convenience store? He hears movement behind him and he turns.

“Ace? What are you doing here?” Sabo asks surprised.

Ace bites his lip as he looks into the oblivious, but smiling face of his oldest friend. God, how much he wants to kick himself… This is _Sabo_ , the too-friendly and too-kind idiot he’s been living with for more than four years now. The idiot with the blond, wavy angel hair and constant dad jokes and his almost obnoxious love for both him and Luffy. The man he’s known all his life. Of all people, Sabo is the last one he should be suspicious off.

“Hey, yeah, sorry…I think I’m becoming paranoid,” Ace sighs and leans against the counter.

“What happened? Is this still about the cinema thing?” Sabo asks and comes closer to stand in front of him.

“Yeah, I mean…kinda…look, I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole toward you this week…I’m just…becoming weird.”

“Ace, c’mon, talk to me. What’s going on?”

He rubs the bridge of his nose and he tries to find the words…to express just what is it that is boiling inside of him… But it’s difficult to explain something that you don’t even understand yourself.

“It’s… I don’t know, since that thing, I’m worried – or more like _fucking_ worried – that something like that happens to him again and when that happens, we won’t be there to help him, you know?” he says with a throaty voice. “And he’ll be alone and god knows what happens to him and we won’t be there so save him. And he’ll hate us.”

“…I mean it’s just normal to be worried, right?” Sabo replies after a moment. “He’s younger than us and we’ve known him since forever. Of course you’re protective, I understand.”

“No, not only...protective… I want…to…,” Ace halts.

He wants to…

_Lock Luffy away. Keep him safe. Protect him from the world and the disgusting people who live in it._

But how can he even start to voice these thoughts without sounding like a total creep and psycho..?!

“Talk to me, Ace,” Sabo repeats and Ace lifts his eyes to see his oldest friend smiling gently, and there are only understanding and sympathy in his eyes, no judgement or resentment.

Ace sighs shakily. “I want to…monopolise him, somehow…I want to protect him and, I-I…I want him to know that we’re always there for him? Do I make any sense?”

Sabo doesn’t say a word for a long moment, before he scratches the back of his neck. He looks at him through his bangs – and…has the expression in his usually so gentle eyes changed?

“I understand. And…you know, what…if we could, you know…prevent that from happening…?” Sabo asks him hesitantly, although his eyes are gleaming weirdly now…

Ace blinks. “What do you mean?” he asks back.

The smile returns to his best friend’s features. Sabo’s smile is seriously something. Intoxicating, mesmerising…he smiles and people fall for him and every word that leaves his mouth.

“What I said. We could do something… _similar_ to putting a mark on him...so people would know and stay away, right?” Sabo says and comes even closer. They’ve known each other for so long; they don’t have a problem with having the other close, as they’re so completely comfortable with each other. But…

Right now, Sabo’s body seems overheated…his skin seems to vibrate as Ace automatically pulls the man in for a hug. Sabo’s arms circle his shoulders, the way they always do.

Just, Sabo seems to be burning from the inside.

“I still don’t really understand what you are trying to say…,” Ace says into his shoulder.

“…If I show you, you might get mad at me…,” Sabo mumbles.

“Jesus Christ, what did you do?” Ace laughs, amused now, as he leans back to look into his friend’s face. “Speaking of which, where the hell is Luffy? Is he in his room?”

“No, seriously, Ace, you might get pretty pissed at me,” Sabo says with a frown.

“Man, just show me and I’ll decide.”

**Law**

“Fuck, I’m freezing my ass off out here,” Kidd growls.

“He’s been gone for ten minutes now,” Law replies, glancing at his phone. A weird uneasiness has settled in his chest and he looks up to the building Ace disappeared in. Something…Law can’t really put it into words, but…he has a bad feeling and goodness, it’s worsening with the second.

_Something isn’t right…_

Suddenly, he feels a large, cold hand grab his and he’s pulled forward into the shadow of the building.

“Kidd…,” he drawls, looking at the taller man sharply, who in turn grins at him sheepishly.

“What? How about we warm each other up?”

“I’m definitely not drunk enough for that,” Law replies dryly.

Suddenly, Kidd leans closer to him. “You were definitely sober the other day…and you enjoyed it…,” he breathes hotly into his ear and Law rolls his eyes, pushing him away.

“Pipe down, firehead. This is serious.”

“Oh please, Ace is being a paranoid little shit, no more,” Kidd sighs, digging his hands deep into his pockets.

“That’s what has me worried. He’s not being his usual self. At all,” Law mutters.

“What do you mean?”

“…I don’t know, it’s just… his behaviour strikes me as obsessive and for lack of a better word: manic. Have you noticed how often he’s checked his flatmates’ profiles? Texts? Tweets? That’s not the Ace I know.”

Kidd stares at him, before he clears his throat. “Shall we go upstairs then? Check if they’re good?”

And Law blinks. “I’ll send him a text if he’s ok. If he doesn’t reply, we check on them.”

 

**Ace**

**_“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HIM?!?!?!”_** he screams and he is about to jump toward the bed, but Sabo’s hand grabs his arm and he is hurled backwards.

“See, that’s what I meant when I said you would be pissed. Listen, this is only for his own good,” Sabo says calmly.

 _“How the fuck – he needs a fucking doctor!”_ Ace screams, twisting his neck to see Luffy pleadingly stare at them, chewing helplessly on the gag that’s tied around his sweaty head and his arm, _god_ his arm looks…

Ace’s head starts spinning at the sight of all the blood.

“You’re a sick _fucking_ piece of shit, Sabo, why the fuck-?” Ace growls weakly and Sabo’s eyes flash in annoyance as he drags him toward the bed himself.

“Look. I put a mark on him. I fucking made sure no one will ever touch him again, that’s what I did – I’m fucking helping him!” Sabo barks angrily and Ace can see now…

Oh my…god… _oh dear god_ … And the four letters **S A B O** are carved so deeply into Luffy’s skin Ace believes he can see the white of his bones and he grimaces with disgust as he jerks his arm free and tears the gag away from the boy’s mouth.

“Luffy, Luffy, oh my god, I’ll get you to a hospital – ”

“A-Ace…,” Luffy sobs and new tears pour from his hellish red eyes.

“You sick motherfucker, get the _fuck_ away from him!” Ace barks as he feels Sabo once again approaching. “For his own fucking good? _JUST GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU SICK FUCK_!” he yells and he spins around to plant his fist in Sabo’s face, but Sabo knows him too well, he dodges and then grabs his wrist painfully tightly.

“C’mon, Ace. This is what you were talking about, right? I fucking know you, pal,” Sabo grins coldly. “You are just like me, you just don’t want to admit it. You’re just as fucking sick as I am; it’s why we are friends.”

And suddenly, he feels how Sabo forces a knife into his palm. “I know you want this. Mark him. Go ahead and do it.”

“Fucking – NO, I’M NOT LIKE YOU ASSHOLE!” Ace yells and this time he aims a kick at Sabo’s abdomen and this time, the man is too slow and the blond hisses, falling to his knees, holding his stomach.

Ace drops the knife after a moment that feels like a year and with a jump, he’s back at Luffy’s side.

“O-ok, look, I’ll get you out of here, hang on,” he mumbles heatedly and Luffy bites his cut lip.

“A-Ace…it hurts…,” he sobs and Ace avoids to look at the destroyed skin of his arm as he jerks Luffy’s cuffed left hand free. “I know, I’ll get you to a doctor – ”

“Ace, fucking hell, I’m just trying to _help_ Luffy! I love him, for god’s sake!” Sabo suddenly yells at him from behind and next thing he knows is how his head is slammed against the wall and he sees stars and Luffy starts screaming in panic and fear and Sabo’s body is pressed against his and his left arm is twisted to the point of breaking and Sabo’s hold is merciless and then there is a horrible, burning, _agonizing_ pain at the centre of his right hand and a wave of liquid heat pours from his palm. His eyes widen in disbelief and terror as he sees that Sabo has pierced his whole hand with the blade, right into the wall – He tries to break free and something breaks inside his hand and he starts howling in pain and first tears blur his vision.

“This is only for the best for both of you,” Sabo whispers behind him, his breath warm and welcome and gentle as always, standing in such a horrifying, _terrifying_ contrast with what he is _doing_ , what he has _done_ –

Where…this is not… Sabo, his best friend… _This is not...happening…_

“Sabo, please, leave him,” comes weakly from Luffy and Ace twists his head to see how Luffy tries to stand up from the bed but he has lost too much blood, his whole arm is soaking and glistening crimson and he falls to the ground and then there is loud noise and voices coming from the door in the hallway.

“Seriously – you brought spectators?” Sabo hisses into his ear. “This is just between us three!”

“Sabo – fuck, let me go…,” Ace growls and winces when Sabo’s grip only tightens and the knife seems to slip only deeper...

And then his mouth is right beside Ace’s ear. “You know what, Ace, we are not that different. I know you want to _mark_ him. He belongs to us, right? You won’t admit it yet, but we both know you want it,” Sabo breathes into his ear and then everything happens so fast -

Sabo is jerked away from his body and next thing Ace knows is Kidd on top of Sabo, beating the ever living shit out of him and Law is at Luffy’s side, yelling at him to stay awake and Ace’s face is hot with his tears as he lifts his aching left arm to get the knife out of his hand, slippery with his own blood.

And all he can hear is Luffy’s terrified sobbing and Sabo’s manic laughter and his voice in his head, like a broken record: _“I know you want to mark him…”_

_“…Mark him...”_

_“…Mark him…”_

_“…Belongs to us…”_

_“…Mark him…”_

_“…You want it…”_

**_“…Belongs to us…”_ **

**_“…Mark him.”_ **

 

**Luffy**

_Twelve years ago._

_“Luffy, you crybaby!” Ace says loudly and gives him a light punch against his shoulder. “It’s literally nothing, it’s not even bleeding, so stop crying!”_

_“But it hurts,” Luffy sobs, and he still has a death grip on his bruised knee. They were running and he fell face first into the dirt and hurt his leg badly. The tears just keep pouring from his eyes and Ace stands in front of him, brisk as usual, and Luffy’s sobbing only gets stronger. Ace is never nice, always so snappy…_

_But then… a pale hand hovers in front of his nose and he looks up to see Sabo offering a hand to pull him to his feet, his smile gentle as usual and he helps Luffy stand up._

_“Luffy, you’re always such a crybaby,” he says, but his words sound so much kinder than Ace’s. “Here, I’ll give you a piggy back, so stop crying, hm?”_

_And Luffy climbs onto his back and after a moment, he can’t help but smile as Sabo and Ace start walking again like nothing happened, and Sabo’s hands hold him tightly, he’d never let him fall, never let him get hurt…_

_He’d never make the pain worse; he’s always…the kindest…_

 

********

 

Luffy opens his eyes and stares blankly into the darkness of Law’s spare bedroom. His arm aches again, but by this point, it’s decreased to a dull ache, barely scratching at his comfort. He’s gotten used to it already.

It’s been almost two weeks and he has been released from the hospital. Since then, he has been staying at Law’s place. Ace has visited him  a few times, but mostly he has stayed in their flat, sorting things out and…and Sabo, he…

His heart aches as he turns to his side. Sabo moved out of their flat, apparently the very next day, according to Ace. Luffy didn’t want to contact the police; he doesn’t want…Sabo…to get arrested, although Ace yelled at him for being stupid and careless, he just couldn’t…

Sabo is…

As long as he stays away from Luffy, it’s alright… Because Sabo is still…Sabo… At least it’s what Luffy wants to believe so very desperately, he wants to believe that Sabo is still… The old Sabo he loves…

He wants the old… Sabo...back…

Luffy sighs and swings his legs out of the bed he has just started to get used to sleep in. His stomach is growling. Hopefully, Law has made breakfast already.

“Morning Torao,” he smiles sleepily at the surgeon, who sits at the kitchen table already, a cup of coffee in his hand, reading the newspaper.

“Morning Luffy. How’s your arm?” Law asks immediately and Luffy wordlessly thrusts his bandaged arm forward, under his nose.

The man had to patch up the deep cuts Sabo carved into his skin, but…ah, Law said the scars would…always look like…

Law carefully opens the bandages to look how his wounds are healing. Luffy avoids looking at them. The hideous sight still makes his stomach turn over. And he already threw up last night. Again.

“They look fine, they’re healing properly,” Law says calmly, closing the bandages again.

“So when can I go back to university?” Luffy asks impatiently. He clumsily pours milk into a bowl with his left hand, as the right one is still… not fully functional again.

“I’d say starting next week, but I'll consult another GP this afternoon.”

“Ok.”

He sits down opposite of Law and pours way too much cereal into his bowl. He sighs again. Fucking stupid left hand can’t even do the easiest things…

“Luffy, is Ace visiting today?”

“Dunno, I guess, why?” he asks back, shovelling the first spoon into his mouth. His stomach rebels. He isn't really hungry at all.

“We might want to start thinking about where you should live. I mean, I’m fine if you stay in the spare room, but we’d eventually, at some point, have to talk about rent and the sort. Or, if you want to move back together with Ace, you guys need to start looking for a flat. I can help, if you want to.”

Luffy nods silently, his mood dropping.

These past two weeks were…like a haze, like a fever dream. It all seemed so unreal, like a nightmare, and he still, somehow…hopes he will wake up and find himself in his home, with his two best friends and everything is ok,  his world is still sound, pure and picture perfect.

But no.

No matter how often he’s pinched his cheek, he didn’t wake up. The things… _have_ happened, it all happened, it happened and it will never ever be the same again. His life, his home, his freaking head.

His arm will never look the same again and…and he, Luffy, will…probably not be the same again either.

“Luffy?”

“Yeah, I heard you. I’ll ask Ace later,” he mutters into his cereal.

“No worries, I don’t want to rush you. Take your time figuring things out,” Law says with a rare smile and Luffy tiredly smiles back, suddenly feeling immensely exhausted again.

 

 

**Ace**

“I can’t believe you asshole have the nerve to appear in this fucking flat again,” Ace growls at the blond man.

“I’m here to pick up the rest of my shit, pipe down,” Sabo replies casually, and his goddamn voice is so…so _normal_ …it pisses Ace off to no ends; does the guy even know what he fucking did? To Luffy? To him? Has this fucking psychopath any idea what Luffy went through - ?

He remains standing in the door to Sabo’s bedroom. His flatmate has been thorough – there’s barely anything left aside from a pile of books, clothes and a few framed picture of…

Of the three of them…

Ace swallows dryly and his eyes not once leave Sabo’s back. The blond, on the other hand, doesn’t care turning around to face him.

The silence stretches between them, the tension in the air makes Ace’s skin crawl and he clenches his right hand that is still wrapped with bandages. The knife went clean through, but using his hand still hurts.

He really… _really_ …wants to be able to hate Sabo.

But…

“You’re an asshole, you know that, right?” Ace murmurs.

Sabo ignores his comment. “…How is he?” he asks instead in a low, but neutral voice. He still has his back toward him.

“...Well, what do you think, jerk?” Ace barks.

“That’s not an answer,” Sabo says with a scoff, before he stands up and looks at him over his shoulder. “So you don’t actually know? Why, because you’ve stayed away, too? Scared you might be just like me after all?”

And how can he say these things with such a beautiful, hypnotising smile on his face and Ace forces his eyes away.

“Fuck you. Of course he’s feeling like crap, after – after what you fucking did to him!”

“I helped him.”

“How? Cutting your fucking name into his arm?!!” Ace starts yelling again.

“I made sure he remembered he’d always have me!” Sabo hisses, anger darkening his eyes now.

“And you couldn’t just fucking tell him?! You need to permanently damage his body, _seriously_?? When did you become such a completely sick motherfucker?!” Ace bellows.

“Oh shut up, like you never thought about it before!” Sabo snaps and that shuts Ace up as he stares at the man in front of him, the man he used to call his best and oldest friend, a third of his heart beating outside his chest.

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Ace says in a low voice, but his heart is pounding like crazy in his ears and his hands start shaking, trying so desperately to keep the rage inside, the anger, the…

Sabo smirks at him. “You think I’m the sick asshole? Go ahead, try to convince yourself, but inside, you’re just as rotten and twisted as I am.”

“I’m not – just – shut up!!”

 “Alright, fine, but you’re the one standing in my fucking room, so say what you have to say or leave me!” Sabo growls.

Ace stares at him angrily, and although his legs want to move, they…he…can’t…

They glare at each for minutes, hours, Ace can’t tell, and he lets out a breath he held for too long and the tension slowly, gradually, disappears from his body.

He runs a hand through his hair and he doesn’t notice Sabo moving toward him, until his…ex-flatmate stands in front of him, so close he thinks he can even hear his thundering heartbeat, just as upset as his own.

Ace should probably run. But his legs are like frozen. His eyes are locked to the ground. He doesn’t dare looking him in the eyes –

“Ace?” Sabo asks, his voice gentle again, smooth, nice to listen to… A voice he has listened to all his life, has loved hearing, the voice he thought would never turn cold towards him… “Ace, c’mon, look at me. You know I only meant well… I love him; you have to believe me…”

Ace bites his lower lip hard, hard enough to draw blood. That…manipulative little piece of shit…

_Not this time!_

And Ace violently shakes his head, before he pulls himself together, looking the man straight in the eyes, his fists clenched at his sides. Ready to be slammed into the scarred face in front of him, the face he’s known for so long –

Ace grits his teeth and bellows: “Alright listen up bastard: _I’m not like you_. I love him. And I would never hurt him. Never make him hate me. It’s one thing to have a fucking fantasy – it’s something else if you actually go through with it. So piss the hell off, Sabo, stay away from Luffy and me and if you ever fucking lay a hand on him again, it will be _my_ fucking name carved in your body, do you hear me?!”

And Sabo only stares at him, his eyes becoming as cold and blank as can be, completely void of any light. The minutes tick by, neither willing to break the glare first. The tension is so thick, almost painful and Ace has trouble breathing.

But he won’t back down.

After a while that feels like a century, Sabo turns away to grab his bags.

“Leave the keys,” Ace snaps and Sabo throws his keys onto the now empty, naked mattress. He marches passed Ace and Ace holds his breath, almost expecting a punch, but nothing happens.

He turns around to see Sabo opening the front door with a jerk of his arm, much more violent than necessary. But that twisted man doesn’t know proportions anymore. Makes Ace wonder if he actually ever did.

Maybe Sabo has always been like this, and both Luffy and Ace were just blinded by his mesmerising smile and gorgeous voice.

All his sweet little lies he told them. Hiding his true nature.

The nature so ugly and dark and hideous Ace didn’t want to see, didn't want to acknowledge…

And now it’s all out, uncovered, and Ace, despite being glad that it didn’t end worse – a part of him still aches for the good times, for the one person he believed to know so well, the one who belonged in his life, just like Luffy.

Sabo is half out of their flat, as he turns around once again.

“It’s not over yet, Ace.”

“It is,” he replies firmly, with a bleeding heart.

Sabo smirks at that, humoured. “ _You_ may not forgive me. But Luffy always does.” And his sickening grin widens until his face looks like it is split open. “And when he’s ready, I’ll be there.”

And with that, the door slams close.

**Luffy**

He sits on the bed, with his laptop balanced on his thighs. Law’s long gone to work already. He won’t be back until the late evening; he has the late shift at the hospital.

Luffy looks around. It’s awfully quiet in the flat. Of course, Law doesn’t actually have any other flatmates, so Luffy is here all by his lonesome.

He grimaces. In their old flat it was never quiet. Either it was him, playing loudly video games in the living room, or it was Ace and Sabo both blasting music from their rooms or the kitchen or the bathroom.

Point is, there was always noise, voices, laughter, just signs that Luffy wasn’t…alone…

And now, he’s here, and the silence seems to suffocate him, it presses down on him, like an invisible weight, pushing him down and making it so, so hard to breathe.

He bites his lower lip as he turns some music on. And yet, he can’t seem to fill the flat with noise, still, he feels his shoulders draw up with uneasiness and his arm starts throbbing again.

Luffy is about to stand up and put on the TV, just to have additional noise in the background, when the doorbell rings and he flinches.

He sighs and awkwardly climbs out of the bed. It is probably Penguin or Shachi, Law’s friends from med school… Or it is Ace after all, who finally drags his lazy ass here, he’s promised to visit already days ago… Maybe got caught up with flat-stuff and work…

When he opens the door, he can tell in an instant that it’s Ace, finally…

“Hey, Luffy, are y-”

And he just falls forward and wraps his arms around his torso and Ace’s hands are on his back just a heartbeat later, hugging him back tightly.

“I’m sorry I’m late. And I brought you some more clothes from home,” Ace mutters into his hair and Luffy only hugs him tighter, he doesn’t care he’s late, he doesn’t care where he’s been, he just wants him to stay with him, now, chase the silence away…the loneliness…

“I was waiting for you,” Luff murmurs miserably.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m not going to leave again…”

“I’m hungry.”

“Shall we order something?”

“Hmmhmm.”

Ace gently urges him to loosen his hug, so they can walk back inside Law’s flat where it’s considerably warmer and less creepy than in his hallway.

Ace shrugs off his coat and throws it over the back of the sofa, together with his bag. Luffy hugs him again, this time from behind; he presses his face flat into Ace’s broad back and he’s so, so glad to hear the heartbeat in his chest, to feel the familiar heat in his body and he sighs inaudibly.

Yeah, he isn’t alone, not really….there is still Ace, and now Law…also that red-haired dude, Kidd, was nice to him…

“How’s your arm?” Ace asks calmly, his large hands covering his.

“Better,” Luffy mumbles.

“I’m glad…but Luffy, if we want to order food you might want to let go off me.”

“Meeeh…”

“C’mon now, you little monkey. I’m hungry, too.”

And with a heavy heart Luffy releases his vice-like grip on Ace’s torso. His best friend winks at him over his shoulder and goes to sit on the sofa. As if everything was normal. Almost as though they were back in their own flat…

“Mind getting your laptop?” Ace asks and Luffy goes quickly to retrieve his computer. Then he sits down next to Ace and immediately cuddles to his side. Ace laughs and throws one arm over his shoulders.

“Alright, what you wanna eat?”

“Pizza!”

“Alright, here you go,” Ace says and opens the website of their favourite local pizza place. “How about we share a family size one? I’m starved…”

“Yeah,” Luffy says, and finally a faint blush colour his unusually pale cheeks as he and Ace choose the toppings. Meat, meat and more meat and lots of cheese! Yeah, sure, and if Ace wants peppers, whatever…

Luffy’s mouth waters at the sight. And just now he realises how hungry he is. And how little he has eaten over the past two weeks.

“Aaaand order send. Shouldn’t take longer than half an hour to get delivered here,” Ace says playfully.

Luffy nods happily, before he leans his head heavy against Ace, closing his eyes.

This feels good. Safe. And he believes the heavy weight has suddenly been lifted from his heart. Not completely – like it was so easy – but at least…he thinks he can relax a little.

“What did you do today?” Ace asks him casually.

“Not much. It’s so boring here.”

“Law is a doctor, what did you expect?”

Luffy snorts at that: “And he doesn’t like bread – who doesn’t like bread?!”

“I know, how can you live with cereal every morning…”

“Oh, but Torao said we should start looking for flats!”

Ace shifts at that and Luffy opens his eyes again to look up into his freckled face.

“Hm? Ace?” Luffy asks.

“Ah, yes, definitely. We just need to settle things with the landlord and see that we can get the earliest move-out date possible.”

“…I don’t really want to leave that place, though…,” Luffy mumbles, hugging his knees.

“Luffy, but –”

“I know, I know. But it’s always been… _our_ flat, right? And now…”

Luffy stops. There he is again, holding so stubbornly onto his silly hope that everything will be ok again, that he and Ace and Sabo will all be ok again, that it will all be the same again and he will be able to have his picture perfect life back –

He wants it all back, he wants _Sabo_ back, he wants to be back in his home, _now, please, just please…_

He feels a hand on his cheek, catching his tears and he looks up into Ace’s now tear-blurred face.

“Luffy… I don’t think staying in the flat would be a good idea,” the man says calmly, gently brushing his hair out of his eyes. “…I mean I’ll go along with what you decide. But please think about it again, ok? I don’t want you unhappy – _ever_. And I don’t want that you have to live in that place that gives you all these painful memories.”

Luffy nods, biting his lower lip hard.

“Why can’t you decide for both of us?” he asks with his brows furrowed and even more tears threatening to fall.

At that, Ace’s arms come around him and pull him tightly to the older man’s chest. Ace’s hug is so warm, so solid and safe and familiar… Luffy buries his face in his shoulder.

“You were the one hurt, not me. So we will do what makes _you_ happy,” Ace whispers, gently stroking his hair.

And Luffy wishes he would’ve just taken that decision from him, he wishes Ace would just decide, because Luffy, still, after all Sabo has done – he so strongly, _desperately_ wants to believe that things can become right again, maybe time will make it ok eventually, he doesn’t care about the scars and the pain if only he can have his old Sabo back…

 

********

 

But of course Ace and Law gently convince him to move into a new flat and four months later, Luffy feels quite at home in the flat he now shares with Ace and Marco, a working colleague of Ace’s.

His bedroom is as big as his old one, he has brought most of his old stuff, even his old posters and pictures are hanging at their respectful places on the walls and the door.

The new flat is on the other end of the city, in a nice neighbourhood with lots of pets and trees and a park near-by.

It’s March; the worst of Winter is over, his university stuff takes up most of his time right now and Ace and Marco are always ready to help him with his assignments and essays. Law and Kidd come visit all the time, usually their flat is never empty, and Luffy loves it.

He loves the lively colours, he loves that Marco has a car and drives him to uni all the time, he loves that they have friends over so often and that there’s always more than enough food in the kitchen, he loves that Ace has finally agreed to get a dog together this summer and he also loves that Marco likes gardening and his plants stand everywhere in the flat.

He feels so at home there – everything is perfect, every day is as awesome as the one prior, and the memories of that painful night last November gradually slip into the far back of his mind.

Sure, the scars **S A B O** are still clearly evident on his skin, but Law gave him an ointment he should apply every morning and evening to help the scars fade.

The good thing is, they don’t hurt anymore. And also his heart has begun to heal.

It’s a mild evening mid-March. Marco went down to the end of the street to get Chinese take-away. Ace is sitting in the kitchen, still working on his laptop. Luffy is lazily lounging on the navy blue sofa, searching through Netflix for a movie to watch.

Everything is perfect. Picture perfect and peaceful, just as it should be.

 

**Sabo**

There he is. His cute little angel… How pretty he looks.

Sabo can see him clearly, through the fine curtains of their living room. It has taken him quite a while to find out their new address. Sly Ace, of course, he’d make Luffy move to the far end of the city, into the beautiful suburbs where nothing bad ever happens…

But his oldest friend is so silly, too, because why did they move into a flat on the ground floor…

That is almost like an invitation to come inside...

Sabo moves backwards into the shadow of the opposite house.

His eyes are still fixed on his sweet little monkey, sitting happily on the sofa… Sabo has missed seeing him like this, so happy and smiling and content… And the scars on his arms looks so pretty, Sabo wishes he could run his fingers over them…trace them with his lips…

He digs his hands into the pockets of his coat. He just needs to be patient a little while longer...

Soon his little angel will belong to him again. And this time he will make sure to clip his wings properly, so he can never ever get away again, and they will be together till the end. No one will take Luffy away again, no one will come rescue him this time, not Law, not Kidd, and definitely not Ace.

Luffy will be his own, his one, his only…

And a beautiful, mesmerising smile lights up his badly scarred face.

“Just wait a little longer. Soon we will meet again, my darling angel…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued.
> 
> This story is not dedicated to anyone anymore, which is why I am now free to do with it whatever I want. And that means I can finally push the plot into the direction I had in mind from the beginning. 
> 
> I will explore much darker subjects, I'll include horror, thriller and sexual elements and the rating will be raised to E. I don't know when I will be able to post the continuation, but I will eventually. 
> 
> Because Sabo really can't wait to see his little angel again, right? ;) And him and Ace have unfinished business as well...


End file.
